Language Categories

FIVE LANGUAGE CATEGORIES

When Speech Language Pathologists refer to a person’s language abilities, there are five different components often referenced:

  1. Syntax- (similar to grammar) the actual structure of a person’s language.  When assessing a patient’s syntax structure, you look at conjunctions, sentence structure and order, regular and irregular verb usage, noun-verb agreement, etc.
  2. Morphology- is similar to syntax, as it is associated with grammar as well, yet it looks at the actual word parts.  Some common word parts include the: plural –s, and –es, possessive –‘s.
  3. Semantics- refers to vocabulary.  Examples of semantics include: word meanings, analogies, antonyms, synonyms, and figurative language.
  4. Phonology- (phonemic awareness)- refers to the sounds in words.  Sound blending and segmentation, syllable deletion and addition, as well as rhyming are all considered phonological skills.  Often, deficits in the area of phonology are warning signs of reading difficulties.
  5. Pragmatics- (social language abilities)- refers to one’s social and conversational skills.  Signs/symptoms of a pragmatic disorder include: limited eye contact, difficulties with topic maintenance and eye contact, and the comprehension and expression of appropriate questions asking/answering.  Pragmatic deficits are prevalent in the ASD and PDD populations.

Retrieved from: http://www.speakingofspeech.com on 3-29-09.

Created by: Megan Miller, Speech Language Pathologist and author of “The Shiny Egg”, Orlando, FL.